Reds take on Braves behind road-weary Bailey

Minor looks to improve at home; Atlanta possibly without Uptons

The road has not been overly kind to the Reds as of late, as Thursday's win over the Braves was just their fourth in the last 13 games away from Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati is 2-3 on the current road trip and 22-25 away from home on the season.

Starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who will take the mound for the Reds on Saturday against the Braves, has not been exempt from the team's road woes. In each of his last two road starts, Bailey has surrendered four runs in six innings or less. Bailey is just 2-6 with a 4.61 ERA in eight road starts in 2013.

Bailey entered his most recent start coming off the second no-hitter of his career, but he couldn't bring that momentum with him to Milwaukee, where he failed to make it out of the sixth inning after giving up 10 hits and three walks.

"He battled like a dog," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Bailey, who gave up all four of his runs with two outs. "He got out of some tough jams. The sad part was, he was almost out of those jams every time, especially early."

Coincidentally, Bailey will square off against Braves starter Mike Minor, who has had trouble getting things going at home this season. In nine starts in Atlanta, Minor is 2-3 with a 3.61 ERA. The 25-year-old left-hander has allowed four earned runs in each of last three starts at Turner Field and taken the loss in two of those outings.

The long ball has been one of Minor's biggest hurdles in Atlanta, as he's given up nine of them at home opposed to just five on the road in the same number of starts. After Minor surrendered six hits, including a homer, in his most recent home start -- a loss to the Marlins -- manager Fredi Gonzalez expressed his confidence in his young lefty.

"I still see the guy that gives you a nice chance to win a ballgame," Gonzalez said.

Braves: Heyward likely done for series
Although Jason Heyward likely won't need a trip to the disabled list as he recovers from a strained right hamstring, the 23-year-old Braves right fielder probably won't play again before the All-Star break.

Heyward injured his hamstring running from first to third in the second inning on Thursday, but he came to the park on Friday feeling better than he did leaving the night before.

"More flexibility in my hamstring, less pain," Heyward said. "It's not as uncomfortable, but there still is pain. I'm still really sore. Still day to day, and that's how we're going to take it and see how I feel each day."

Should Heyward, who is batting .227 with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 67 games, feel up to it, he said there's a chance he could play in the series finale on Sunday. However, it's most likely he takes full advantage of the four off-days that come along with the All-Star break.

• The Braves could also be without the services of B.J. and Justin Upton on Saturday and beyond, after both outfielders left Friday's game early with injuries.

B.J. Upton sustained a right adductor muscle strain when he sprinted in and dove to try to catch a Todd Frazier line drive in the first inning. He missed, and his right knee appeared to stick in the ground, twisting the rest of his body awkwardly. After laying on the ground for several minutes, Upton walked off the field on his own power.

Justin Upton's injury came in the seventh inning, when he exited with a left calf strain after tying to leg out a single off Bronson Arroyo. The Braves announced that he would be re-evaluated before Saturday's game.

Reds: Choo leading team at plate
After going hitless against the Giants on July 1, the rest of the month has been good to Reds leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo.

With a 2-for-5 performance on Friday, Choo extended his season-high hit streak to 10 games. The 31-year-old center fielder has gone 17-for-42 (.405) in that stretch with four doubles and three RBIs.

Choo's streak is the longest active one on the team. Five games into Reds' final road trip before the All-Star break, Choo has gone 9-for-22 (.409) with six runs scored.

Worth Noting
• Bailey is 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in four career starts against the Braves, including a no-decision in Cincinnati on May 7, when he allowed four runs on five hits and four walks in five innings.

• Mike Minor has seen the Reds twice in his career, most recently limiting them to one run and four hits in seven innings on May 8.

• The Reds seek back-to-back road wins on Saturday for the first time since beating the Cubs in three straight games June 10-12.

Jeremy Warnemuende is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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